From the international airports in Costa Rica, which should I use?

The main airports in Costa Rica are Juan Santamaria International (SJO) in the Central Valley and Guanacaste International (LIR) in the North Pacific. Read more to find out where to land for your amazing vacation in Costa Rica.

When do you confirm you are going on a vacation to Costa Rica? Yes! When you already bought the tickets. You have to love that exhilaration we feel when we click the reserve button on our favorite flight platform. Now, a bit before that fantastic smiling moment, there is a decision to make.

Which airport should I use in Costa Rica?

They have two! And in such a small country, airport fees and flight costs may be the main difference, isn’t it?

Well, not really.

Never mind how small Costa Rica looks on a map; it may be confusing, and distances may be longer than we think when we look at them on Waze or Google Maps. Mainly, the roads are winding, and quite often (especially in the rainy season), they may not be at their best. And places that seem to be quite close on a map may be very distant, simply because there is a huge mountain range between the two destinations.

So, where do I land when I go to Costa Rica?

It depends on your itinerary, actually.

First, if you do not have an itinerary, you may want to contact us (LINK) to get all the needed information on places, distances, and destinations, and you may even want to use our phenomenal team to guide you and reserve for you. Does it cost more than doing it by yourself? Actually no. It may even save you some big bucks, and furthermore, it may save you from trouble and confusion.

But let’s say that you want to go on your own, which we totally support, as long as your experience goes as smoothly as it would with Amazing Costa Rica (link to contact).

So, we would ask you:

Do you have a favorite airline to fly to Costa Rica, and does it fly to both airports?

Here you can find a comprehensive list of the flights arriving in Costa Rica to both airports.

Now, depending on your itinerary, you may want to choose one or the other.

Or even arrive at one of the gateways and depart at the other.

So, what is your first destination in Costa Rica?

In Costa Rica there are destinations that are pretty much at the same distance from any of the airports, the most popular ones are: Arenal Volcano and Monteverde.

If your first destination is either one, you can arrive to either one airport.

La Fortuna / Arenal Volcano

• From SJO to La Fortuna (Arenal) 2 hr 26 min (116 km)
• From LIR to La Fortuna (Arenal)  2 hr 40 min (143 km)

Monteverde

• From SJO to Monteverde 2 hr 23 min (131 km)
• From LIR to Monteverde 2 hr 12 min (128 km)
• There is a good line that you can draw in order to choose your arrival point.

Now, there is an easy line to rely on:

The Central Valley, the Central and South Pacific, Turrialba Valley, Sarapiqui, Boca Tapada, and all of the Caribbean Area are closer to the SJO Juan Santamaría Airport.

All of Guanacaste Province and the northwestern regions of Costa Rica (up to Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge) are closer to the Guanacaste Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport.

San Jose International Airport

Juan Santamaría International Airport is in Alajuela, 10 km (6.2 mi) from San Jose downtown. This airport is older and much larger than Guanacaste International Airport.

If you are thinking about an airport hotel, contact us here. (LINK)

If you want to go independently, we suggest looking for places in Alajuela. There are amazing places in the area, and they are very close to the airport.

Who was Juan Santamaría?

The drummer boy who gave his name to Juan Santamaria died in 1856 while defending Costa Rica from an invasion by a U.S. mercenary army under the command of Texas doctor and filibuster William Walker.

The code of Juan Santamaria International Airport is:

The airport code assigned to San Jose International Airport is SJO.

Important Note: Be careful not to confuse San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) with San Jose, California (SJC).

Some facts about Juan Santamaría International Airport

• This airport offers cheaper flights to Costa Rica than Guanacaste Airport, so it’s recommended to compare both international airports when searching for flights. If time is not an issue, I would recommend doing the math and checking transfer rates. It may be more affordable to pay for the transfer. Ask us!
• Uber is available. Same app.
• Taxis are available as well.
• When you rent a car, the company may have a shuttle, or the staff will wait for you to take you to their nearby offices. They may also tell you about a shuttle with their brand.
• If you travel with Amazing Costa Rica, your Costa Rican first friend will be waiting for you like this:

• If you are taking a shared shuttle, it’s important to know that at times you may take from one to two hours to exit the airport (depending on how many people you may find in the immigration lines). Sometimes many flights arrive at the same time, and there are crowds waiting. When you exit, you will have to take an Uber or a taxi to get you to the nearby Dennis or Rostipollos.
• The public buses pass right in front of the airport. You go across the street from the exit area, take a left, and go around the corner; it will take you right to the bus stop. Watch it! as buses going to San Jose and buses going to Alajuela stop at the same place.
• If you are driving, it’s important to know that rush hours in San Jose are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and then from 3 p.m. to 6 or 7 p.m. If you are driving, know that you may end up in a traffic jam. Drive carefully, especially when it is raining.
• Lots of hotels offer a free shuttle. Find out if your hotel has that advantage.

Guanacaste Airport

LIR Airport, located 15 minutes from Guanacaste’s capital, Liberia, is the second international airport in Costa Rica, offering easy access to the Northern Pacific coast’s beaches, the Northwest region, and all of the Nicoya Peninsula.

Who was Daniel Oduber Quiros?

Daniel Oduber Quirós (1921–1991) served as the President of Costa Rica from 1974 to 1978. He had the idea of creating an airport in the region and was a great advocate for the expansion of the province of Guanacaste.

Some important facts about Guanacaste International Airport:

• Driving around Guanacaste is quite easy. Watch only for potholes, and unless you are in Liberia downtown, you will hardly find any traffic jams.
• There are a couple airport hotels; however, as the ocean on some beaches may be less than an hour away, it is hardly worth it.
• Liberia does not have a dedicated terminal for domestic airlines. Local flights  leave from the same terminal. There are fewer local flights coming out of Guanacaste Airport than from San Jose.
• As in SJO, car rentals will transport you to their offices to deliver your car.
• Private shuttles can be found as you exit the main terminal.
• Public buses here are unpredictable as many of the routes are “directos” (non-stop), so even if you can find a bus stop outside the airport, I’d rather take a taxi to Liberia Downtown and go straight to the bus station. It may be easier, especially if you are going to one of the many beaches in Guanacaste.
• Remember that Guanacaste is a lowland; that, in Costa Rica, means hot. Sometimes it is very hot. And half of the year, it may also be very humid. I recommend you take all precautions if you are going by public bus.

Conclusion:

So, as you just read, now you know your airline, and you probably know your gateway by now.

If you do, as much as if you don’t, it is time to consider calling Amazing Costa Rica to find out more about itineraries, off-beaten track spots, and the difference we can make for your trip. We are local, we know Costa Rica, we have over thirty years of experience in the travel industry, you can use our knowledge, we are women, we empathize easily, and we are very careful when recommending any place or activity..

So give us a call or send us a note, and we’ll give you an amazing Costa Rica vacation!

Visit our packages  |  Customized your trip